neXt: Red Eyes
by Nadasi
Summary: Incredible, eh? :D  The story continues after a 10 month writer block! Enjoy!
1. Alpha and Alpha

**Hello everyone!**

**After half a year I'm back with my story!**

**The original _neXt: Red Eyes_ was published on 16th January, 2011, but thanks for my laziness and for other issues I only reached _Chapter 3_. That was the mistake because the story really begins in the 4th part. Some of the reviewers found the smallest mistakes and despite writing me a building critic they put me down on the floor with their rude words.**

**But thanks for _Villain84_ and _CGWolf'13_ whose kind comments helped me to stand up and to make it all again till the last chapter. I don't want this story to disappear.**

**From now on I'll publish the heads in English and also in Hungarian.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>neXt – Red Eyes<strong>

Chapter One:

**Alpha and Alpha**

_"... by the way, Humphrey, what are you doing this afternoon after we've arrived?"_

_"I think I'll be sacked out for at least 10-12 hours. But first I'm giving a big hug to Kate."_

_"Just like the one you gave to Mooch?"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Well, that night I saw you and your friends on the rock preparing for the Moonlight Howl and..."_

_"Er, you know... we're friends... and sometimes..."_

_"It's so easy to make you embarrassed!"_ smiled Lilly.

It was spring, 7th March to be exact. The pale light of the matutinal sun made long shadows on the sandy ground by the trees surrounding the clearing. Only some tufts broke the still-life of nature. The sky above Jasper Park was playing in dark blue and pink tones that fitted like a glove to the cool weather of dawn. Humphrey, Lilly and a dozen of other wolves were setting their faces for home: the Alpha School had ended. They were out of a tiring winter but...

_"No, not really but... HEY! LILLY! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"_

Lilly gave legs and disappeared among the trees. She knew it wasn't the right thing as Humphrey was also aware of it. He hesitated. _What will Winston say? Let her get lost?_ He ran after the girl. _It wouldn't be a great idea to secede from the others but this way nobody will be alone._ He couldn't even say _ditz!_ because her fur was as white as snow. But it was unimportant at that moment. Humphrey was worried from another matter.

_What if we meet a hunter?_

* * *

><p><strong>The theme song for the story is still <em>009 Sound System – Dreamscape<em>. I hope you liked the first chapter despite its shortness. The second will be much longer.**


	2. neXt

Chapter Two:

**neXt**

His weapon had already been loaded. He stopped and checked everything once again. It wouldn't be nice to blow the hunt for which he got up very early. In fact he would rather have travelled but couldn't say no for the kind invitation he got from his friends. They were separated by now and had to be careful not to kill each other. No one had hard-shell vest – but why it should have been needed? The forest was full of tall prolific trees which meant great hiding places for them. Anyway, paintball is not a life threatening game...

At last he set off. The plan was to surround the others and to pounce on them. But it was hard even to jog in that plastic mask due to the lack of fresh air. Arpi could hear that his mates were following him among the bushes for a long distance – and then came the dead silence. _What's up?_ He stopped and looked around. The impact was fast and painful. He didn't have time to realise that he was shot and had to finish the game, but the blue pigment on his coat told him everything.

* * *

><p><em>"What was it like?"<em>asked Tibi after turning off the espresso machine.

_"Not bad for starters. I was the first one who got shot."_

_"But you were able to step some, weren't you?"_

_"Yeah, I was gone too far."_

_"Don't you want some coffee?"_

_"No, thanks. I'd rather sleep. I never had to wake up so early on a Saturday."_

_"OK then. Sleep well!"_

Why did he let fool himself into playing this fumbling game? He could have been sacked out for at least 10-12 hours. It doesn't matter. Now he can make up for this. It was spring, 7th March to be exact. There was nothing better than popping into bed after tearing about outside in this cold weather.

He was unused to crosses like this, though, he could get everything he wanted. Of course it's easy if your father is the owner of the most popular electronic company in the world. The _neXt_ was very profitable. The family had villas and mansions everywhere on Earth but always came back to Nyíregyháza to the biggest residence. Perhaps because the business was started here in Hungary. A huge multinational from a little enterprise – a book was also released about the success story.

Arpi was the centre of the family as an only child. He even had a bodyguard: Tibi has always dogged his footsteps, despite that they became best friends. This morning was the first occasion when nobody came along with him – he wanted to set up for himself. After all he's 18 years old and there comes a time when he'll fill the second most important part of the company. There was a specially prepared office for him in the central block and his parents would only let him work there if he comes off well in school. Thus studying took a lot of time from him but nobody could designate him an eager beaver. He pursued several sports in his free time and liked to snoop into the newest developments of _neXt_ wherefore he had to sign dozens of declarations that he'll keep the inventions in secret.

* * *

><p><em>"Hi! I'm back!"<em>shouted Arpi's dad and slammed the door. He was tall and a bit overweight. He spent eighty percent of his life in suits and never took off the ring from his left hand that symbolised the successful love between him and his wife.

_"Good evening, boss!"_Tibi was coming downstairs as he heard somebody have arrived.

_"Tibi! Haven't I told you not to be on formal terms with me?"_

_"I'm sorry, sir!"_

_"Arrgh!"_

_"OK, OK"_ laughed Tibi _"Do you want some coffe?"_

_"You made it this morning?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"Then no, thanks. Arpi?"_

_"He's upstairs in his room."_

_"I have good news for him! We're going to Canada on Monday!"_

_"Oh! You settled about it at the moment?"_smiled Tibi.

_"Nope! I have some work in Edmonton first and then I'm going to Ottawa to a meeting."_

_"Wow! And you're going to make it on a day?"_

_"You fool! We're spending one or two weeks there!"_

_"Then we'll have time to visit Jasper Park."_

_"I thought you hate nature."_

_"Well, yes. Only where there's no civilization at all. I just want to go there in behalf of Arpi. His favourite movie takes place there. I don't know the title, maybe Alpha and Omega. We watched it together with glasses."_

_"That's why he made me buy a 3D cine-projector! He's always unsatisfied with our cinema. Maybe later he won't content himself even with an IMAX!"_

_"Then you're about to develop something new!"_

_"Good idea!"_ smiled Arpi's dad.


	3. Skyline

Chapter Three:

**Skyline**

The _Queen Elizabeth II Highway_ was almost empty that didn't seem strange in such a dark and stormy night. Lightnings were striking in every five seconds so close thus the asphalt-blaster sound of the thunders had nearly passed the bolts' blinding blue shine.  
>A jet-black <em>Hummer H3 Limousine<em> was going at a spanking pace lonely on the motorway overstepping the speed limit which is 62 MPH here in Canada. Though the road was slippery, the driver didn't bother with it even if the windscreen wipers couldn't clean the glass entirely to ensure the lookout needed.  
>They were riding for only ten minutes but the skyscrapers of the city had already appeared on the horizon in a marvellous flood-lighting.<p>

Arpi and his family had just arrived at_ Edmonton International Airport_ with their own plane and now they were hurrying to _Crowne Plaza Hotel_ where a booked luxury set of rooms was waiting for them. As they reached the edge of the city the traffic and the light-pollution suddenly grown to an enormous size. The flatness of the expressway turned into the rat race of Edmonton, which kept down the ear-splitting sound of the fulminations.  
>But taking the corners with such a long vehicle wasn't easy even for an experienced driver and the <em>Hummer<em> kept skidding to the pavement. Thanks for the professional speeding everyone could doss down half an hour after the landing.

_"It was the first occasion that we flown with our new Aerion SBJ! It's such a superb plane, isn't it?"_ asked Arpi's dad.  
><em>"Yes, darling, perfect choice. But I keep thinking who gave you so much money..."<em> suspected Erzsi.  
><em>"Luv, I could buy the whole factory, money isn't a limit for me."<em>  
><em>"It seems that I wed an oil sheik."<em>  
><em>"I'm better of them."<em>  
>Arpi's dad and mother, Erzsi were in their bed looking at the ceiling while talking to each other. They started to osculate when Arpi came into the room.<br>_"Oh, sorry! I didn't want to disturb you. I'm out if you need me."_ apologized Arpi and started to back out from the door.  
><em>"Wait a minute!"<em> said his dad. _"Tibi told me you want to visit a park not far from here."_  
><em>"Er...yeah! Jasper. Why are you asking it?"<em>  
><em>"Shall we go there at the weekend?"<em>  
><em>"OK. Which day is it?"<em>  
><em>"Monday. But it will be soon Tuesday, it's half past 11. Time to sleep!"<em>  
><em>"Your dad is right. Tomorrow will be a very important day for all of us. Good night!"<br>_

* * *

><p>10th March, 9:32. Arpi's birthday. This day mothers make the favourite meals for their beloved children in the morning, at noon and in the evening. But Arpi wasn't choosy, he ate everything that could be named as food: talking about a cake or bugs. Even Chinese food cannot make him vomit. Thus Erzsi hasn't got any problem with cooking. Moreover, this morning she didn't have to make even the breakfast as they ate in the restaurant of the hotel, filling their plates from three huge smorgasbords. In fact they would have eaten, if Tibi hadn't found something interesting with what he set back the repast of the family. He commuted from their table to the smorgasbords till he took four cups of hot chocolate. When the others had had about enough of it, they rapidly said:<em> Have a good meal!<em> Going for another cup after this would be very rude of Tibi. So he sat down and said _Have a good meal!_ under his breath.  
><em>"Mm.."<em> Arpi's dad swallowed. _"Arpi! I almost forgot to tell you that we're holding your party in a family way upstairs in our rooms. Is it OK for you or you want me to make arrangements?"_  
><em>"Dad, it's gonna be perfect. You know me, I'm not demanding. Please don't encumber yourself with things like that! The conference will be enough for you today. By the way, when are you going?"<em>  
><em>"Well, I'm supposed to be there at 3 pm. Sorry for leaving you so early!"<em>  
><em>"It doesn't matter. I won't be aggrieved!"<em> smiled Arpi.  
><em>"I hope your present will compensate for it."<br>_

* * *

><p><em>"A PAGANI ZONDA CINQUE? WOW!"<em>  
>He couldn't believe that the one million dollar sportcar, which has just rolled down from a trailer, is his property. Its black and white polish was divided with a fiery red line in the middle and the whole vehicle was sparkling like it was taken from an exhibition.<br>_"You'd better take care of this car! There's only five of it in the world!"_ his dad put him in his place. _"Now you're officially 18 years old! Happy Birthday!"_  
>Everyone hugged Arpi one at a time.<p>

After having the private party in the apartments and eating the last crumb of the cake everyone went downstairs to the parking of the hotel to have a look at the arriving present. The car was ordered by the parents from the Italian _Pagani Automobili_ a month ago, just in time because that was one of the last _Zonda_s and a couple of rich people wanted to put it in their garage. But Arpi and Tibi didn't know anything about the upcoming _Cinque_and now they were totally amazed by the sight.

_"I don't know what should I give you in return..."_ Arpi was effusive in his gratitude.  
><em>"It's enough to say: Grazie!"<em> joked Erzsi.  
><em>"You got your driving licence a year ago, since then your driving skills have developed a lot, thanks to the practising on our tracks. You really deserved this car!"<em> appreciated his dad. _"If you want you can circulate with it now, I'll gauge the time..."_ he looked on his watch and recoiled. _"What? It's already a quarter to three! I think it's time to go if I don't want to be late."_  
><em>"I'll keep you company."<em> said Erzsi.  
><em>"Who will take care of Arpi?"<em>  
><em>"Me, after all it's my work."<em> chopped in Tibi.  
><em>"True."<em>  
><em>"Let's go and see if the policemen can read the back number plate!"<em> said Arpi and sat at the wheel.  
><em>"Take it easy, my son! I don't want to sell my company to be able to pay your penalties!"<em> recommended his dad.  
><em>"But previously you mentioned what a great driver I am."<em>  
><em>"In a figurative sense, anyway... OK then but be careful with the cops!"<em>  
><em>"Don't worry, I will!"<em>

Tibi sat down to the passenger's seat and they drove away slowly. The parents were waving, and when they weren't be able to see the car Arpi stepped on the accelerator and went through a stop light with 56 MPH. A regularly plying 2006 _Dodge Charger_ and a 2010 _Ford Mustang GT_ blew their horn and tried to avoid the accident – successfully.  
><em>"My son."<em> sighed Arpi's dad listening to the noises.  
><em>"Darling, it's already 14:50!"<em>  
><em>"Damn it! Let's hurry then!"<br>_

* * *

><p>The <em>Zonda<em> turned up to_ Yellowhead Highway_ and went towards west.  
><em>"Where are we going exactly?"<em> asked Tibi.  
><em>"I don't know"<em> lied Arpi. _"We're just going for a ride."_  
>He engaged the sixth gear. They were rattling with 124 MPH by now.<br>_"Where can I turn on the radio?"_ asked Tibi again.  
><em>"Look, here."<em>  
>They turned on the radio. They didn't know which radio it was but the song sounded familiarly.<br>_"Symbien feat. Lola – Callin'. One of my favourites!"_ called out Arpi and turned on the volume.  
>"<em>Hey, they're playing Hungarian songs here, in Canada?"<em>  
><em>"Once it's sung in English..."<em>

As they left Edmonton behind the land suddenly became deserted, there were no signs of civilization.  
><em>"How far do you want to go?"<em> asked Tibi half an hour later. _"You know that I don't like to be off the map."_  
><em>"If there will be an opportunity, I'll turn back."<em>

The sun trended towards west like them and its blinding shine made the driving difficult.  
>But Arpi continued his way to the skyline...<p> 


	4. Late Hunt

**And the fourth chapter is finally here (overdue, though...)! The chapter that has never been released before!**  
><strong>I was working on preparing this part from the beginning. That means the first three chapters are only prequels, their aim were to introduce the new characters and places – and, well, to make the fourth be ready to come.<strong>  
><strong>From now on the plot gets out of control but I'll try to make it traceable for everyone and I hope updating won't be so hard for a beginner writer - like me – to make you wait months for a new chapter. Believe me, I know how waiting feels when a part has a very exciting end!<strong>  
><strong>What more can I say...<strong>  
><strong>Enjoy!<strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter Four: <p>

**Late Hunt**

_"Don't you think it's a bit late to hunt, Garth?"_ asked Winston.  
><em>"For me it's never too late when the pack's hungry."<em>  
><em>"HAHAHA! I like this stance!"<em> laughed Winston heartily. _"But don't worry, my son. We won't die of hunger having no dinner this evening."_

Winston and Garth were sitting on a cliff, which's gray colour now started to turn into orange thanks to the descending sun. Thus, in late afternoon, the whole area looked like the _Grand Canyon_, only the _River Colorado_ was missing. About 30 metres under them a huge bald flat extended – from the cliff, if the weather was clear, you were able to see the 15-miles-away forest.  
>Not far from where they were sitting was the mouth of an empty cave. It may had been the home of the dominant family of a former pack that had been disappeared for at least five years by that time...<p>

_"I know. I was thinking about the breakfast."_ answered Garth.  
><em>"It's enough if you catch it at dawn."<em>  
><em>"I agree but Lilly's so excited. She even cannot sleep! It would be very dangerous to hunt tiredly in the morning, but I guess Lilly did it anyway... She's asking 'When will the next hunt come?' all the time, so I came to query it."<em>  
><em>"OK then. Go for it if you really want. But take care of my daughter! Do you remember what happened when we were coming back from Alpha School, don't you?"<em>  
><em>"Yeah. She saw a butterfly and started to pursue it!"<em> smiled Garth.  
><em>"Exactly. The only problem was that she didn't recognize we were walking on a plateau bordered with forest. If Humphrey hadn't stopped her, she would fall down."<em>  
><em>"But thank goodness he succeeded to stop her. Since then I'm searching for the occasion to give something in return."<em>  
><em>"Well, he would surely be very happy if you threw up your pack leader post for him..."<em> joked Winston.  
><em>"As far as I know, it's still pending."<em>  
><em>"Yes, you're right. We're trying to make the decision but as you might already know, Tony wants you but I want Kate, this way we can continue this adjudication till the end of the world. Let's talk about this later, now go for a hunt before it gets dark!"<em>  
><em>"Right away!"<em> grinned Garth and rapidly jumped down from the cliffs leaving Winston alone, who was watching him cheerfully until he disappeared.

_Let them go!_ he thought. If the audacity is so big, the prey should also be huge. Another corporate hunt in turn helps to make the pack cohesive, which is very important after a union.

So, Winston was left alone sitting on the cliff. His look drifted to the distant fringe of the forest but he wasn't enjoying the panorama for a long time because the sight of the prairie raised bad memories inside him. He shook his head, stood up and walked to the mouth of the cave.  
>He often came here to calm down feeling the stroke of the wind, and to forget about all the problems of the pack that hadn't been solved yet.<br>Sometimes he was brought here only by his curiousness and was thinking about the person(s) who may had lived in this 'apartment'. He couldn't resist the temptation to go inside again. Reaching the entrance he was welcomed by a familiar vision: there was a skull of a caribou lying in the dust and as he went further inside he found another two and a spinal column broken in the middle. These remainders were already here when he first came whereupon. Maybe he wasn't even born when they were hunted down. Anyway, he was happy that his home didn't look like this.  
>He sat down and sighed. It was getting late. <em>Shouldn't I have let them go?<em> he cogitated. _I hope they will come back in one piece. Although Garth took it all upon himself, so there's no reason for me to be afraid. Wait a minute! What's this smell?_ The odour came from the innermost point of the cave. Winston stood up and went closer to see what it is. His eyes needed some seconds to get used to the darkness and when they did, Winston backed some meters being frightened by the scenery: a complete skeleton of a puma was lying on the ground. It was eaten not long ago. But who would ever be able to eat a cougar? Wolves had never got the courage to fight with these beasts, neither bears had. He hadn't heard about cannibal pumas, and if he had known how piggy Arpi was, he still wouldn't believe that humans would ever mop up something like this. He was standing and staring at the anatomy. He had never felt himself being so at a loss, but what was even stranger is that he was dreading. Suddenly he felt himself inconveniently in the cave and he was constantly looking from left to right. The unsettling memories of his youth came back and started to assault him that he ran out fast to the cliff. He nearly fell down from it.  
><em>That puts the lid on it!<em> he thought looking down to the prairie and quickly averted his head. He tried to calm down looking on the cliff under him. He was wheezing._ Pull yourself together!_ he said to himself and after some minutes, when he felt better, he left for home the same way Garth went away.

Previously he came here to calm down but this time things happened in the opposite way. These sights ripped the healed wounds of his soul open, thus the first thing on his mind was to meet with Eve. They often comforted each other if it was needed.  
>Here came again the moment in Winston's life when he forgot about the more important matters while taking care of his own memories – for example to find Garth and cancel the hunt.<p>

* * *

><p><em>"...so, we'll work in pairs. Humphrey, you'll hunt with Kate and I'll help Lilly. One of us scares the deer while the other jumps on it and bites its neck. OK? This way we can kill two easily."<em>

Garth, Lilly, Humphrey, Kate, Hutch and Candu were walking next to each other towards the caribou-herd on an enormous, green meadow, which was covered with big puddles – the remnants of the blanket of snow melted not long ago. Thus heading was very hard for the six of hunters because the ground was soft and swampy everywhere and if they stopped only for a second, they started to get bogged down.

_"It's a very great idea, Garth."_ said Candu battling with the dirt. _"There's only one problem with it: you completely forgot about us!"_  
>He looked on Hutch who nodded with agreement.<br>_"You can help us with the scaring."_ answered Garth.  
><em>"What? Don't you think we could hunt down a third?"<em> Candu was almost shouting.  
><em>"It would be hard to carry it home."<em>  
><em>"Garth's right!"<em> snapped Kate. _"We wouldn't be able to come back before it gets dark. And instead of arguing try to make your steps faster, I don't want to rout anybody out of this muck!"_  
><em>"Not even me?"<em> forced the joke Humphrey.  
><em>"Humphrey, not now, please!"<em>

As they went further the ground became softer and softer.

_"It seems we better turn towards north because if we continue our way to Lake Talbot, we'll sink into this disgusting thing over head and ears!"_ suggested Hutch.  
><em>"Garth, do you remember what I've said about Rabit Poo Mountain?"<em> asked Lilly.  
><em>"Of course. Why?"<em>  
><em>"We should give a name like that to this field too."<em>  
><em>"Lilly, please! I'm already feeling sick!"<em> prayed Hutch, the others were laughing.

Battling with the mud truly didn't seem worth doing, so everyone turned towards the nearby river. Here the ground became harsher, and what's more they beheld the herd as the deer were drinking from the water calmly.

_"Here they are!"_ said Garth. _"The water mystified my scent."_  
><em>"So, what are we waiting for?"<em> asked Humphrey impatiently scratching the ground with his soaked, splashy paw.  
><em>"Who talks about waiting? Follow me!"<em> commanded Garth and they started to stalk slowly towards the preys. _"That big one next to the broken-antlered is yours!"_ he whispered to Humphrey who nodded, meaning _Okay!_ but seeing its gigantic sizes he suddenly had his heart in his boots.  
><em>"Don't worry! Everything will be okay!"<em> reassured Kate as she had been reading in his thoughts and gave a big kiss on his jaw. He smiled.  
><em>"Look after yourself!"<em> he said and touched Kate's nose with his.

_"Hey, Lilly! Good luck!"_  
><em>"Good luck to you too, Garth!"<em>  
><em>"Try not to fluster! You only make harm for yourself with it."<em>  
><em>"OK, I will!"<em>

They hugged each other before they bended to the task, meanwhile Candu was watching them restively.  
><em>"Hutch, I swear there wasn't such a long leave-taking before the Alpha School!"<em>  
>Then he recognized that Hutch was approaching him with his lips rounded, like he had wanted to kiss him.<br>_"Tut, with your stupidity!"_ he pushed his friend away and his angry face became cheerful, maybe for the first time that day. _"You're behaving like an omega!"_

"Lilly!" said Kate.  
>"We are just waiting for you and Garth for ten minutes by now!"<br>"Oh, sorry!" realized Lilly and let lose her hold of Garth.

Ten seconds later everyone was all set.  
>Candu and Hutch gave chase to the needless part of the herd to the sign of Garth and pursued them towards the forest. This way nobody would be stomped in the chaos that was about to arise.<br>After that Humphrey had to take action fast. He got on the back of his deer with a well-balanced jump, for which it started to squirm to shake down his future killer. Then came Kate: she went in front of the prey and snarled at it. With this she wanted to brush it aside from the riverbank as far as possible – but she didn't succeed. Meanwhile Humphrey had to hold on strongly to the caribou not to fall down from it. Imprinting his claws on its back he started to approach its neck and by the time he was about to rip the artery with his teeth, about ten ugly, deep wounds were interlarding the poor deer's skin.  
>There only the finishing bite was left to be done when the victim suddenly started to totter and fell over into the river.<br>_"HUMPHREY!"_ shouted Kate. She thought that the deer fell on her love but when he flared breathing hard she set her heart at rest.  
>Humphrey came out from the water and then, with the help of Kate, he dragged the fainted animal onto the bank and pressed its neck with his jaws till it suffocated.<br>_"Even I couldn't do it better, darling!"_ praised Kate. They nuzzled.

Meanwhile Lilly was running as fast as she could after her caribou towards the fringe of the forest.  
><em>"LILLY! DO SOMETHING!"<em> yelled Garth desperately holding on to the deer's back. He couldn't climb up to its throat to rip it, he was glad that he didn't fall down.  
>Candu and Hutch – hearing the noises – hurried to help them but they were half a mile away when the caribou reached the edge of the forest and stopped.<br>_"Huh, alright!"_ relieved Garth. _"You're smart, luv! Err... luv?"_ Then he looked around and recognized that Lilly had just came up with him. She was heaving.  
>But something should have scared the deer otherwise it wouldn't stop. Garth looked ahead and saw that...<br>_"Oh, dear! A puma! LILLY, RUN!"_

Garth jumped off the caribou and started to flee with Lilly. The puma came out from the shadow of the trees and laid out the deer, roaring loudly. Probably it wasn't hungry because it left the cadaver there and started to pursue the two of wolves.

_"Don't... give up... darling! Candu... and Hutch... aren't far... away!"_ faltered out Garth.  
>Lilly hadn't got more than three seconds to draw breath between the two marathons, but the adrenalin gave her enough force to be able to move forward and not to drop behind.<br>The sentence Winston said not long ago now came into Garth's mind: _But take care of my daughter!_  
>These words echoed constantly in his head.<p>

_"Kate! Look!"_ said Humphrey with his eyes rounded.  
><em>"Oh, no! We must help them somehow!"<em>  
><em>"Let's go and settle that beast's hash!"<em>  
>Kate smiled and followed Humphrey.<p>

_"Huh! What... are they... doing?"_ asked Lilly but it wasn't easy for her while running.  
><em>"They're... running... towards... US!"<em> wondered Garth.  
>He was right. Humphrey was racing squarely to them with Kate behind him, and it seemed he was brewing to something lunacy.<br>_"NOT... NOT THIS WAY!"_ bawled Garth, but they acted like they hadn't heard anything.  
><em>"What's... your plan... exactly?"<em> asked Kate groaning.  
><em>"It's... simple. Very... very simple."<em>  
>The distance diminished. Garth and Lilly split up, thus Humphrey was eye-to-eye with the cougar. Then he jumped. Even he didn't know why he was doing that. Maybe he just wanted to protect Kate, but it seemed what he was doing didn't make sense. It was too late to think about it.<br>He heard some voices. He heard that the others were squalling as they could but he didn't understand anything from their words. It looked like time had stopped for a moment... and then a big paw lashed to his forehead. He felt that he fell on the ground and rolled in the grass for a while. His head was aching badly and his eyesight wasn't perfect too. He tried to stand up – he succeeded but he was feeling dizzy.

Kate saw that the beast was approaching her love, so she didn't hesitate: she bit into the tail of the puma making an exhibition of herself. It roared loudly and started to chase her.

_"Are you OK?"_ asked Garth.  
><em>"Yeah, I think."<em> replied Humphrey.  
><em>"Why did you do that?"<em>  
><em>"Well, you know, I became an alpha not long ago and the desire to hunt sometimes grow to an enormous size inside me."<em>  
><em>"Oh, just like Lilly..."<em>  
><em>"Kate?"<em>  
><em>"No, not Kate, Lilly."<em>  
><em>"I mean: where's Kate?"<em>  
><em>"Oh... well, she's on the run, but Candu and Hutch are going to..."<em>  
>Humphrey sprang up like he hadn't got any injuries, he left Garth high and dry and ran after Kate.<p>

Kate looked back. She saw that Humphrey was also following her. Not far behind him Hutch and Candu were rushing.  
><em>"HUMPHREY! DROP... BEHIND! I CAN... HANDLE... THIS!"<em>  
>Despite that Humphrey kept on following her. He would never be able to sit and watch that his darling is being lacerated by a puma. If it happened, he wouldn't have absolutely anybody on Earth. There were Winston and Eve in place of his parents by now. Well, Eve... let us agree that there was Winston in place of his parents. There wasn't a wolf in the pack that ever had the courage to approach Eve more than twenty meters. Except her husband and children, of course. They were respected for it.<p>

The sun was very low and in as much as Kate was coursing right towards west, its blinding orange light completely dazzled her. She tried to see what's in front of her twinkling, and when she beheld the guard-rail of the motorway her eyes kindled. She didn't come here by chance. She accelerated and jumped over the rail in full fling.  
>The road had two traffic lanes and one emergency lane on both sides. Kate succeeded to land on the centre line of the traffic lanes. In that moment a bus dashed away right in front of her, and behind her a bantam roared away towards the skyline. Both of the vehicles were blowing their horn. Even the asphalt was fluttering under her. <em>Huh, it happened by the skin of my teeth!<em> she thought, and seeing nothing coming from left, she went forward. She reached the grassy flat of the area that separated the two carriageways. Here Kate could feel safe because the cars weren't able to hit her thanks to the guard-rail.  
>But it didn't stop the puma: here came the newer shag, but now alongside the motorway.<p>

_"KATE! DON'T GIVE UP!"_ shouted Humphrey and jumped over the rail. He didn't need a whole second to rue what he had just done. He looked on his left and saw that the traffic became thicker. The whole vehicle-swarm was about two miles away, consequently in a safe distance, but a loud sportcar managed to near him fast dangerously.  
>He closed his eyes. It wasn't his day. Some minutes ago a large puma nearly brained him and now he was about to meet with a car.<br>His forepaws had just landed on the bitumen when he felt that a sharp front bumper extrudes his pads from under him. He fell over onto the bonnet and rolled over the windscreen, over the top, and finally over the whole car. The _Pagani Zonda Cinque_ literally roared away under him. Its body was dotted with small patches of blood.  
>Humphrey plummeted onto the asphalt. He was lying in lateral position. He wasn't moving.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>The official poster of the story (and the story itself) can be found on <em>deviantART<em> by now!**  
><strong>Feel free to write comments on it, moreover I'm waiting for reviews for the chapters, because if there aren't any ratings –- there aren't readers –- then who should I write for?<strong>  
><strong>So, I'm waiting for building critiques.<strong>  
><strong>On <em>Facebook<em> I established my fan-page. If you like the story, please like that page too! Just type in _"Dj. Gabee – fanfiction"._**


	5. A never expected meet

Chapter Five: 

**A never-expected meet**

A juggernaut lorry was approaching. Kate jumped over the guard-rail with a surprising determination with the puma following her, but it wasn't as lucky as Kate: the heavy metal-monster hit the beast blowing its horn and extruded its slack body onto the emergency lane, right in front of the numb _Pagani Zonda Cinque_. Even a bear wouldn't be able to survive such a huge strike.

**(Recommended song for the next scene:_ Need For Speed World OST – Hero_. Search for it on _YouTub'_!)**

But Kate didn't care about the dead puma. She ran to Humphrey to see if he's still alive with her eyes tearful.  
><em>"Oh, no! Humphrey!"<em> she cried and prickled his jaws with her nose. Then she hugged him like he did when he thought the caribous had trampled her to death.  
>A dozen of family cars speeded towards just one meter from Kate. Their blowing wind was flirting her fur. Gazing looks were visible behind all the windows: staring children, teenagers and adults. Of course, when an accident happens suddenly everyone's interest focuses onto that tragedy. But now there was something more in the incident, something more interesting: the appearance of the wolves. They weren't real. Or it's better if we say that they looked like they were put there from an animated movie.<br>All of the vehicles rattled forwards with their 66 MPH speed, so the spectators could only enjoy the scene for a moment. Someone had forgotten about everything after 5 minutes but there were people who fixed the sight in their minds.  
>The<em> Cinque<em> was stagnating on its place. Its brake light was sprinkling its blinding red light on the sobbing Kate and on Humphrey. Its dazzle lamps put the dead puma into a float right in front of the car.

_"I think I'm freaked out."_ said Arpi at last.  
><em>"I'm even more freaked out!"<em> answered Tibi.  
><em>"What do you think? Shall we get out of the car?"<em>  
><em>"Are you mad? What's if this black panther is still alive?"<em>  
><em>"I doubt that. Moreover I think it's a puma."<em>  
><em>"Oh, it's just the same..."<em>  
><em>"I'm rather afraid of Kate."<em>  
><em>"What kind of Kate?"<em>  
>Arpi pointed on the inside mirror.<br>_"Yeah. So, this... this... What the...? Oh, my God!"_ Tibi's mouth remained open.  
><em>"You remember, don't you? We were watching the movie together. Alpha and Omega. I guess it's the omega now: The End!"<em>

The door of the car opened. Kate sprang up to the noise.  
><em>"Are you out of your head? She'll tear you up!"<em> Kate heard as Tibi was whispering loudly, trying to stop Arpi. But he get out of the low sportcar.  
>Kate's crying eyes suddenly became furious. She was approaching the weapon-less Arpi snarling.<br>_"No! Kate! Please! I'm so sorry! I didn't want it!"_ Arpi was stepping back and he hid his face like he knew somebody will jump on him soon. Kate became petrified as her tearful eyes became rounded. She didn't know if she had had the courage to do for what wolves will probably never get the chance again to do. Here's the opportunity! She opened her mouth to talk...  
><em>"How...how do you know my name?"<em> she asked quaveringly.  
>Now Arpi was the one who became amazed. A wolf is talking to him! What's more, she's asking him!<br>_"Err... aa... you... you are speaking! You can speak!"_ squeaked Arpi.  
><em>"Yes, since I was a pup. But you haven't answered my question."<em>  
><em>"Err... yeah... you're right. But let me not tell it now, it's a very long story. We'd better help Humphrey..."<em> said Arpi sheepishly and started to approach Humphrey, but Kate jumped in front of him and snarled at him.  
><em>"I don't care if you know the whole pack but you won't touch Humphrey even with a finger, YOU TURD! YOU'VE KILLED HIM!"<em> shouted Kate and started to cry again.

Tibi brought out his pistol of his pocket and aimed it on her.  
><em>"Don't shoot!"<em> commanded Arpi. _"Put it away, there's no need to use it!"_  
>Tibi took the weapon away after a bit of hesitation.<p>

A couple of cars were speeding towards right next to them. Some of the vehicles slowed down a little so the passengers could catch flies. A green estate car – after recognizing why the traffic's pace had become the speed of a turtle – turned on the blinkers on the right side and parked on the emergency lane about 100 meters ahead from where Arpi and Tibi was with their car. Then it reversed and finally stopped. A middle-aged, slim man got out of the _Subaru Exiga_. He slammed the door hurryingly, locked the vehicle with the remote control and headed towards the _Pagani_. He took a look at the dead beast and then went forward shuddered. He shook hands with Arpi, for whom the time had arrived to show how well he speaks English.

_"Good evening!"_  
><em>"Good evening! Though I think 'good' isn't an appropriate adjective to this evening..."<em>  
>Kate was very uptight. No wonder, she was surrounded by three humans.<br>_"Well, yes... But let me introduce myself. My name is Ethan Miller. I have an own pets' clinic not far from here, in Jasper. I was going home when I saw you standing here being at a loss so I thought I could help."_  
><em>"I also tried to help but Kate doesn't really want to accept it."<em>  
><em>"Khmm!"<em> Ethan cleared his throat. _"Sorry. What kind of Kate?"_  
><em>"She."<em> Arpi pointed on Kate. _"I know it seems strange – well, it's strange indeed – but let me explain everything later. I think we'll have enough time for it."_  
><em>"I see."<em> answered Ethan confused. As Arpi, he also tried to get closer to Humphrey, but Kate started to protect her love again.  
><em>"Kate."<em> said Ethan. _"It's not sure that your friend is dead. But I have to look at him to be aware of it. Trust me! I can help him!"_  
>But Kate didn't move. She was looking at Ethan with angry eyes, being ready to attack.<br>_"We cannot make advance this way."_ he complained.

At this moment Garth, Lilly, Hutch and Candu arrived to the guard-rail. They were in a stupor of dismay. Lilly turned on the waterworks and hid her crying look in the chest of Garth. He hugged her sadly.  
>Candu and Hutch ran to give a hand to Kate without hesitation. They were setting about to complete the dinner when...<br>_"NO! Candu, Hutch! Don't hurt them!"_ yelled Kate. Arpi, Tibi and Ethan respired. Candu and Hutch were looking at Kate with incomprehension.  
><em>"They're the only ones who can help us."<em> she said and stood off to make way for Ethan. He went closer to Humphrey carefully, crouched and put his hand on his chest.  
><em>"He's alive!"<em> he said after a couple of seconds.  
>The wolves and Arpi eased.<br>_"Though"_ he continued _"the pace of his heart is a bit troubled... It's not a huge problem. I can ballast it. But first I have to take him to my clinic in Jasper."_ Ethan was really enjoying that animals understand his words.  
>He started up and ran to his car. He took out an unfold-able stretcher, put it on the asphalt and with the help of Arpi they put Humphrey's slender, bruise-rich body on it.<br>_"We'll turn down the back seat row"_ Ethan started to explain while they were carrying Humphrey _"and we'll put poor him there. Kate, if you want you can also get in next to your friend, so he won't be alone."_  
>He didn't have to say it twice. After they'd arranged everything, Kate jumped in the car. Ethan closed the door, got in and went away with his poison-green <em>Subaru Exiga<em>. Arpi also got in right in front of the wheel and with Tibi they drove off to follow Ethan.  
><em>"I've never been in such a fever in my life!"<em> said Arpi. He declutched and shifted up to 3.  
><em>"Oh, I thought I'm going to lose my mind!"<em> answered Tibi.  
><em>"Is it all possible? A movie becomes reality? Or maybe I'm just dreaming? Have a dig at me!"<em>  
>Tibi obeyed and nipped Arpi that he yelled loudly and drew an S with the Zonda, making the car next to them brake abruptly.<br>_"Next time try to make it less painful!"_  
><em>"Now you're aware you aren't asleep!"<em>

Garth, Lilly, Hutch and Candu were watching the two cars' leave on the horizon with their hearts full of mixed feelings. The sun was very low at that time, only the half of it was out of the covering of Earth.  
><em>"Let's leave the caribous here and hurry home before it gets even darker. We should tell everything to the pack and at dawn we can come back for the 'dinner'."<em> suggested Hutch.  
><em>"OK."<em> approved Garth and they started to go home.  
><em>"All this stuff is so unbelievable!"<em> said Candu. _"Have you seen the three of the humans?"_  
><em>"Yeah!"<em> they said together.  
><em>"I haven't seen much of them in my life but this three was somehow different... Anyway, I guess Winston can answer to this too."<em>  
>Garth's body juddered for a second. What will Winston answer to him?<br>_"Oh, poor Humphrey!"_ sorrowed Lilly.  
><em>"It was my fault."<em> said Garth._ "I shouldn't have let him run after Kate."_  
>"<em>You wouldn't be able to come up with him. You were wheezing."<em> comforted Lilly.  
><em>"I hope everything will be okay and he'll come back soon to us. The cheerfulness of the pack is a non-existing notion without him."<em>

The top of the hills – to where Garth and the others were heading – were still lighted by the sun, making a beautiful scenery both for the wolves and the passengers sitting inside the rattling cars. But the bleeding carcass lying lonely on the emergency lane was still noticed by everybody. Though the people living here just went forward: accidents like this weren't unusual in this area.


	6. Revocation

**It's been almost a year that I haven't updated my story, for which I apologize because I breached my assurance I made publishing the remake of the first chapter. The half of the summer has almost passed away, so after being still so busy in the first weeks of my holiday I thought I should strain myself and sit down to write – again. Finally I came home from the researcher camp of MTA (the Hungarian Academy of Sciences) and now will possibly have more free time after dealing with physics - even to draw.**  
><strong>But let's just finish the boring jaw and start Chapter Six! :)<strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter Six:<p>

**Revocation**

_"Do you feel better now?"_ asked Eve.  
><em>"Yes, thanks."<em> replied Winston with a deep, calm tone of his voice. _"Thank you for deploring some minutes for me!"_  
>Winston and Eve were lying in their den while watching the beautiful sunset taking over the horizon. In this part of the year the weather was getting warmer and warmer, but slow enough not to be noticed by the wolves or by other creatures.<br>Winston and Eve had spent several hours like these in their life caring for each other but through the years it seemed that this occasion was the most important ever.  
><em>"Oh, darling! It's the least! Remember, you've also spent a lot of time caring with my problems and well, that's why we are together!"<em> smiled Eve. _"We can get on really well with each other!"_  
>Nobody have ever seen her so calm, nice and caring in the pack only Winston, Kate and Lilly because she didn't want to show other wolves her loving side to seem bloodthirsty and spirited, like any "good" alpha – though she had some problems with the latter sometimes…<br>_"Yes, that's true!"_ smiled Winston, and then he suddenly turned back to the original subject. _"But you know the view of the prairie was too much for me, not talking about the skeleton of that puma… "_  
><em>"I understand, darling! I know how terrible things happened to you in Siberia… Oh, and the skeleton! What the hell is that?"<em> fulminated Eve.  
><em>"I still don't know but after I got myself through the panic attack I wished I could revoke the permission I gave to Garth for the hunting. I have fears for them, really! The creatures that ate that puma might not be far from here!"<em>  
><em>"Don't worry! We have met lots of weird stuff in our life yet, we should just leave them behind and go on! Be cool as a cucumber!"<em> Eve tried to cheer up Winston with her joke but she didn't succeed – like always.  
><em>"Oh, Eve! It's not a kind of weird stuff like any other! It's serious!"<em> said Winston looking glum. It seemed he didn't want to be cool as a cucumber… _"We're facing a new danger besides pumas and bears, and we don't even know what it is! We don't know **anything** about it!"_  
><em>"I believe you, darling, but I've got another inexplicable thing for you to reflect on. Do you remember the vibrancy that happened on the night you arrived back from Alpha School?"<em>  
><em>"No, I don't know what you mean."<em>  
><em>"OK, I tell you. After you fell asleep I stayed awake thanks for my sensitiveness about weather changing. I just couldn't close my eyes to doss like I do whenever it's about to turn rainy or something. So I was expecting the change of weather – but it didn't happen at all! There hasn't been any change for almost four days by now!"<em> Winston's expression was surprised. Eve continued. _"But I got the answer really soon: the bulging moon. Its light started to fade so slow that I could hardly notice it, but then it suddenly got as bright as it was before and after shaking mildly for some minutes it became full! I've seen a full moon just some minutes after I saw the bulging one! Do you understand? A full moon made in some minutes! I was so upset that I started to wake you up and I heard you saying my name, but now it seems you don't remember anything."_  
>Winston was staring at his wife with a stunned expression on his face. He left his mouth open and completely forgot about the skeleton. His thoughts were all around this thing – the full moon.<br>_"B-but… it's… impossible!"_ he stammered.  
><em>"Really? Then take a look at the sky!"<em>  
>They both looked up, and though the light of the sun hasn't passed away completely, they could see a clear but pale full moon.<br>_"I can't believe this!"_  
><em>"The day after all this happened everyone…"<em> Eve looked at Winston _"…almost everyone noticed the sudden growth of the moon. I talked with the others and most of them said it must be the fault of their memory. They were all so skeptic about this phenomenon!"_  
><em>"But why haven't you told it before?"<em> asked Winston.  
><em>"I didn't want to make things confused before the inaugural of Lilly and Humphrey. We will hold the ceremony tomorrow when they will officially be accepted as alphas, and as I know you…"<em>  
><em>"Wait! Listen!"<em> Winston broke in on Eve. He was antsy.  
>The couple could hear the voices of running paws and gasp coming far from them. They didn't know what it is because they were expecting Garth and the others to come carrying some huge caribous – with those they couldn't run this fast – but then they have to be surprised seeing Garth, Lilly, Hutch and Cando crawling into the mouth of the cave and kicking up dust.<br>_"Garth, Lilly, Cando, Hutch! What happened? Where's the fire?"_ asked Winston surprised.  
><em>"Winston… I had… to tell you…"<em> hove Garth.  
><em>"Hold your horses! Draw breath and then we can talk more easily!"<em> suggested Eve.  
>Winston was sweeping the crew when he asked his question:<br>_"Wait! Where are Kate and Humphrey?"_

Garth clamped his teeth and looked at Winston with shy eyes like a child does when he breaks the porcelain dinner set of his mother.


End file.
